Method and apparatus for weighing railroad cars



Feb. 6, 1968 M. J. B UCHMAN 3,357,432

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING RAILROAD CARS INVENTOR- J. BUCH'MAN Filed July 22, 1966 MAURKE' b: qr

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United States 3,367,432 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WEIGHING RAILROAD CARS Maurice J. Bushman, Qhicago, Ill., assignor to Railroad Machinery Development Corporation, Northfield, III.,

a corporation of Ohio Filed July 22, 1966, Ser. No. 567,253 4 Claims. (Cl. 177-47) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a method and 'an apparatus or system for weighing coupled railroad cars.

It is well-known in the art of weighing of railroad cars that before an accurate weight of a railroad car can be obtained it is essential that the mutually engaged couplers be freed of the coupler bind that causes a part of the weight of one car to be carried by an adjacent car. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for accomplishing this result.

It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide a method of the type stated in which the cars are moved over a weighbridge with the car couplers in buff and then causing the cars that have passed over the weighbridge to move over track section that is downwardly inclined relative to the weighbridge by an amount sufficent to overcome the rolling friction of the cars whereby each car on inclined track section may tend to move from the car behind it (within the limits of the coupler) and even engage in draft and cause the couplers of the cars on the weighbridge to move out of buffengaged bind and into a condition in which the couplers are free to drop by gravity to their lowermost position where they are substantially free of vertical force-transmitting relationship.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus of the type stated having a level weighbridge and approach section at each end of the weighbridge and with each approach section having a level stretch immediately adjacent to the weighbridge and a downwardly inclined stretch at the end of the level stretch that is remote from the weighbridge and with the incline of each stretch preferably being just sufficient to overcome the rolling friction of the cars, whereby individual cars in a train of cars moving in either direction toward the scale with their couplers in buff and then across the weighbridge may be weighed with the assurance that the coupler bind is substantially eliminated on the car being weighed.

The attainment of the above and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention and showing the method of the present invention used for weighing empty cars;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the apparatus being used to weigh loaded cars;

atent FIG. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view 'approximately through the center line of two couplers that are in buff engagement;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIGv 3 and showing the couplers slack or relaxed;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic elevation'al view, partly in section, of the couplers of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIGS. 3 and 4 but showing the couplers in draft engagement.

Referring now in more detail to the drawing, there is shown an apparatus 1 having a track scale 3 with a level weighbridge 5. The track scale 3 includes conventional weight recording apparatus which is in operative connection with the weighbridge 5 so as to record the weight thereon. The weighbridge 5 may have a length of the order of 12 /2 feet whereby the cars may be weighed one truck at 'a time, or a length of approximately 5 feet 2 inches if the cars are to be weighed one axle at a time, in each case the weighing is with the cars coupled and in motion. On either side of the weighbridge 5 are approach sections 7, 9 having level portions 10, 11 of equal length immediately adjacent to the weighbridge and inclined portions 13, 15 at the ends of the level portions 10, 11 that are remote from the weighbridge 5.

The combined length of the two level portions 10, 11 and the weighbridge 5, namely the distance from a to b, is approximately feet. For coal cars the car length, namely the distance between the front and rear couplers of a car, is about 50 feet while the wheel base, that is the distance between the front axle of the front truck and the rear axle of the rear truck, is about 43 feet. Thus, the distance from a to b is of the order of three ca lengths.

Each of the inclined portions 13, 15 has a grade that is preferably just sufficient to allow the car to overcome the rolling friction in the wheel bearings and cause the car to move downwardly along the incline. The amount of friction in the bearings will, of course, depend upon the nature and condition of the bearings. Cars with roller bearings will require less of an incline than those with ordinary journal bearings. In general, however, a grade of about .15 to about .25 and preferably about .2% is suitable for each of the inclined portions 13, 15. Furthermore, each inclined portion preferably has a length that is approximately as long as the longest train that is intended to pass over the system. The grade of the portions,13, 15 is exaggerated in the drawing for purposes of clarity of illustration.

A train of empty cars 17 is pushed toward the loading station, over the weighbridge 5 in a direction of the arrow 8, by an engine 20. At this time each empty car is weighed. As the cars are pushed up the incline 15, the mutually connected couplers c1, c2 of the cars on the incline 15 are in buff, which is designated as B in FIG. 3. In this condition couplers may be bound, that is, the couplers may be locked by friction in a position whereby one carries part of the weight of the other. It forces in buff are great enough to maintain the hind, vertical forces may be transmitted between cars. However, when the first car is pushed over the weighbridge its leading coupler is not connected to anything and so it is obviously free of coupler bind. The trailing coupler of the first car and the leading coupler of the second car will also be free of coupler bind because both cars 'are level and there is insufficient resistance from a single car to maintain bind in its trailing coupler. The condition of the two last-mentioned couplers will be in the unbound or relaxed condition designated as R, substantially as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In this condition the couplers cl, c2 will have dropped freely onto the coupler irons 22, 23,

thus relieving the vertical bind that may have existed between them.

As the leading truck on the second car passes onto the weighbridge 5, the leading car will still be level and the front truck of the third car will be on the level 11 although its rear truck will be on the incline 15. Attitude of second car from scale does not affect the weight of car on weighbridge. When the trailing truck of the second car is on the weighbridge 5, the lead truck of the first car will be on the incline 13 and the third car will be on the level 11. The second cars trailing coupler and the leading coupler of the third car will be substantially in the condition R (FIGS. 4 and 5) because the trailing coupler of the first car and the leading coupler of tlie second car may be moving out of condition R and going into a draft condition D, shown in FIG. 6, and upon further movement of the train into full draft. The coupler change from horizontal force-transmitting relationship to no horizontal force-transmitting relationship frees the couplers of any significant transfer of vertical forces that may have existed between them.

When the trailing truck of the third car is on the weighbridge 5, the first car will be fully on the incline 13. When this occurs, the movement of the first car down the incline 13 causes the mutually connected trailing coupler of the second car and the leading coupler of the third car to move toward the draft-engaged position and thus relieve the trailing coupler of the third car and the leading coupler of the fourth car from forces in buff so that they become slack. As a result of these last two mentioned couplers being relaxed, the trailing truck of the third card and the leading truck of the fourth car may be accurately weighed.

As successive cars move over the weighbridge and are weighed, the preceding cars move onto the incline 13, and the couplers of those cars are changed from buff condition to condition D. As a result, when a truck of a car is on the weighbridge, its leading coupler and the trailing coupler of the adjacent forward car will be relaxed, causing the couplers that are adjacent to the trucks being weighed also to be relaxed. Thus, the incline 13 causes the couplers of the cars thereon to go from bufi to draft and effectively eliminate vertical bind of the couplers of the car on the weighbridge. Where one car is on the level track and the next forward car is on the incline, the mutually connected couplers may be in an intermediate condition, going from relaxed into draft and indicated at RD. When a truck of a car is being weighed, the trailing coupler of that car may be in 'a position intermediate the buif and the draft positions, designated at BR. Here the vertical force transmitted to the front truck is so small as to be insignificant as respects the desired accuracy of weight.

Ideally, the incline 13 is just suflicent to overcome the friction of the rolling stock. Practically, it is a trifle greater to make sure that this condition exists for pr'actically all cars. The grades heretofore given assure this. Since the incline 13 is preferably as long as the train of cars being Weighed, all the empty cars have been weighed when the train moves onto a level of stretch at end of the incline.

After the empty cars have been Weighed in the manner aforesaid, the engine 20 is uncoupled. The cars 17 may then be filled with coal or the like from the hopper 25 and weighed by moving them in the direction of the arrow 27 over the weighbridge 5. To move the train, a car mover 29 may be used. This device may be driven in a conventional manner by 'a cable and drum arrangement 30. It is also posssible to load the cars 17 as they move past the hopper 25 in the direction of the arrow 18. The couplers of the loaded cars being weighed will be freed from coupler bind in the manner previously described. The couplers will be in buff when the cars are on the incline 13 and will be in draft when they are on the incline 15.

In compliance with the requirements of the patent statutes, I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise construction and method herein shown and described, the same being merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. What is considered new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for weighing coupled railroad cars, comprising a track scale having a weighbridge, first and second tr'ack sections extending respectively to the respective ends of the weighbridge, said sections each including a first length of track adjacent to the weighbridge and at the same slope as that of the weighbridge, and a second track length leading from that end of said first length that is remote from said weighbridge, each said second track length having a length and an incline relative to its associated first track length sufficient to free the couplers of a car on said weighbridge at least momentarily from substantial horizontal force-transmitting relationship with the'couplers of the adjacent cars when the cars are pushed from either section towards the other section via said weighbridge, and thereby substantially free the couplers of the car on the weighbridge from vertical forcetransmitting relationship with said adjacent couplers.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which each first track length and the weighbridge are substantially level.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 in which each second track length has 'a grade of about 0.15% to about 0.25%.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which each second track length is at least as long as the train that is being weighed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,621,035 12/1952 Marden l771 3,093,200 6/1963 Raskin 177-1 3,172,490 3/1965 Raskin 1771 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE H. MILLER, JR., Assistant Examiner. 

